3 things Chiefs have to fix immediately after Panthers scare if they want to contest for Super Bowl

The Kansas City Chiefs are 10-1 so far, but despite their amazing record, the team needs to fix these three problems at the earliest.

3 things Chiefs have to fix immediately after Panthers scare if they want to contest for Super Bowl

Patrick Mahomes (Image via IMAGO)

The Kansas City Chiefs are on track to win their third consecutive Super Bowl. The team has been lights out this season getting off to a solid 10-1 start. The numbers reflect that all is well with the Chiefs, but a closer look at the team dictates otherwise. The Chiefs are shaping up to be the worst 10-1 team to date in the NFL.

Following a 30-21 loss to rivals Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills last week, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs walked into what was supposed to be their easiest night of the season, a game against the 3-8 Carolina Panthers.

The game was expected to be a blowout win in favor of the reigning Super Bowl champs but in a shocking turn of events, the Chiefs risked going to overtime until Spencer Shrader came in clutch with a field goal.

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Kansas City has had its fair share of struggles this season. Do not be blinded by the 10-1 record as it masks the uncertainty that this team faces in the playoffs. This season, four of their victories have come down to the wire, with the Chiefs leading by 5 points or less. They would be 9-2 had it not been for a late field goal block in their Week 10 matchup against the Broncos.

The current state of the Chiefs is concerning, and the team is putting the blood pressure and heart rate in a constant state of ebb and flow. There are three major aspects that the team needs to fix at the earliest if they intend to make history by winning their third straight Super Bowl.

The struggling pass defense is no longer threatening opposing QBs and needs immediate fixing

Say what you may, but Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs would not have made it to the Super Bowl last season if not for their impeccable defense. At the start of the year, the Chris Jones-led defense bailed the offense out on days when they were struggling to get started. However, in the past weeks, the one aspect of the ball the Chiefs could rely upon has been appearing shaky.

In the last five weeks, KC has just 1 interception. The quarterbacks that they have played against are Gardner Minshew, Baker Mayfield, Bo Nix, Josh Allen, and Bryce Young, who have completed over 70% of their passes and scored eight touchdowns on this defense. Apart from Mayfield and Allen, the defense should not have struggled as it has against the other QBs on this list.

If this is the state of affairs during the regular season, then each week will be a battle during the playoffs as only the best make it.

Replacing Jaylen Watson and placing less reliance upon Chris Jones

The biggest blow of the season to the Chiefs has come in the form of Jaylen Watson‘s injury. The team’s pass defense began to spiral downwards after he sustained a season-ending injury. Despite being the second-best DB on the roster, the impact he has had on the defense cannot be overstated.

DC Steve Spagnuolo might be a defensive mastermind, but he is not a wizard. It is hard to get an immediate replacement for a player of Watson’s caliber and that can be seen in the gaping holes left in the defense.

Chris Jones
Chris Jones (Via Imago)

Chris Jones is the backbone of this defense. The fans know it and so do the defensive coordinators in the NFL. He faces a double-team on nearly every play which means he has a lot more to deal with than the other linemen. With Charles Omenihu dealing with injuries, nobody has stepped up to the challenge yet, and it has resulted in the outside pass rush being bad. The defensive line struggles to consistently pressure the QB without blitzing, as was seen in their Week 10 loss to the Bills.

The Chiefs’ offensive line has been unable to protect Patrick Mahomes

This season started with particular concerns about Patrick Mahomes’ performance. He struggled with interceptions having recorded at least one in each of the team’s first seven games. However, to be fair to him, the team’s O-line has struggled to keep him protected, which gives him less time to throw.

In the 2023 season, Patrick Mahomes was sacked 32 times as per Stat Muse. In 2024 through 11 weeks, he has been sacked 27 times. This will be a significantly bigger issue that will come to haunt the Chiefs in their quest for the Super Bowl. Fortunately, the team signed Pro Bowler D.J. Humphries to boost the OL, but it remains to be seen how well he fits in.

Despite the team’s struggles, Kansas City has cracked one thing. They know how to win games. The silver lining from their narrow victories this season is that it will have a carryover effect into the playoffs. Consider this, when a team dominates its opponents throughout the regular season and faces a close game in the critical moments of a playoff game, mentally they are not prepared to be in this situation because the nerves take over.

However, it will not be the case with the Chiefs as they have been mentally conditioned to keep their calm during critical moments, and that is huge come playoff time.

Related: Patrick Mahomes knew how good 8th-grade Bryce Young was after Panthers QB gives Chiefs a scare